1924-25: A Lost City Emerges
The excavations at Harappa undertaken from 6th December 1924 to 6th April 1925 were Daya Ram Sahni’s last undertakings at the site. His report appears in the Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey for the year 1924-25 (henceforth ARASI 1924-25, pp. 73-80), published in 1927.
Sahni, who began the digging of Harappa in 1920-21, continued his excavations “at the low mound F’ near the banks of the old bed of the Ravi river ‘and the lofty mound A-B’ that rose abruptly to its south (Sahni 1927: 73). In mound F he excavated a large area Ae on the western edge, and sunk “four large pits”, each 50’ square, “in a line in the southern portion of mound B” (ibid: 79).
He reported that the buildings brought to light, in 1924-25, were somewhat better preserved than those that had been exposed the previous year. Among them was “what appears to have been a temple with stout brick walls in Mound B (Plate XXV, b [Excavations on Site B from S.W.])” and “another large sized structure (Plate XXIV, c [Parallel Walls])”, a “double series parallel walls without connecting walls of any kind”, in Mound F (ibid: 74). The latter he emphasized was the “most important architectural discovery of the year” (ibid: 76).
ARASI 1924-25 records that “105 negatives were exposed by the photographer of the Superintendent, Hindu and Buddhist Monuments, and consisted mainly of views of the excavations at Harappa which were under his supervision”, and that “36 of antiquities from Harappa” were included in the DGA’s photographic collection (1927: 174).
The collection catalogued here, for Harappa.com, comprise 110 photographs, in at least three albums of the ASI’s Punjab Circle, nos. 31 to 33. Of them around 49 are in ARASI 1924-25 in plates XXIV (a-e), XXV (a-d), XXVI (a-d), XXVII (a-i) and XXVIII; 10 photographs of structural remains, 48 of antiquities and 1 of a large collection of bones. Photographs of excavations at Mound F appear first, followed by those of Mound B (or Section B of Mound A-B), Terracotta and other Objects, and Seals and other Objects. Approximately, three excavation photos and all object images, such as of a ring stone, shell ladle, copper jar, terracotta snake, a double headed bust of a lion of terracotta, and terracotta figurines and seals and sealings appear in the final report that was authored by Madho Sarup Vats (1940) in the list of plates in Vol. II.
- Dr. Sudeshna Guha
References
Sahni, Daya Ram. 1927. ‘Harappa, Explorations, Northern Circle’, Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1924-25 (pp. 73-80), Calcutta: Govt. of India Central Publication Branch.
Blakiston, J.F. (Ed.). 1927. ‘Section X, Departmental Routine Notes: Photographs, Lahore’ Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of India 1924-25 (pp. 169-178), Calcutta: Govt. of India Central Publication Branch.
Vats, Madho Sarup, 1940. Excavations at Harappa: Being an Account of Archaeological Excavations at Harappa Carried Out Between the Years 1920-21 and 1933-34, Vol. 1. Delhi: Manager of Publications.
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81. Three earthen jars, Trench A Three Earthen Jars A (f) 28, found 4 feet below surface in trench A (f). No mention of finds of three earthen jars in Trench A (f) by Sahni in ARASI 1924-25. Of the excavations and finds Sahni… |
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82. Three Harappan Seals Two seals with unicorn. Third seal, missing lower half, with the humped bull. |
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83. Two mutilated female figurines and female head with headdress Three terracotta figurines, female. All broken. A field number ending in 708 is marked on the head-dress of the one on the left, of which only the bust remains. |
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84. Seals Harappa Five Seals. One with unicorn, four with only the script. |
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85. Unicorn and other Seals Published in ARASI 1924-25, Plate XXVIII. Title of plate: ‘Seals and Other Objects’ Four unicorn seals, a rhomboidal seal, and rectangular seals. The provenance for some provided in the object… |
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86. Harappa Seals Seven unicorn seals, all but two broken, among other types. Top row Left: Published in ARASI 1924-25 Plate XXVII, No. 8, “A (b) 922” Third from Left: Published in ARASI 1924-25 Plate XXVII, No. 4, … |
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87. Terracotta Objects Three long terracotta objects; the find number of the one in the right: A 347. NOTE: The find numbers on the back of the photograph are A 347, B IV 48, AB 81. |
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88. Harappa Bangles etc. An assortment of personal ornaments, mostly beads, and a possible nose disc. Bottom row, 1st from left: Described by Vats as “cog-wheel shaped disc”, of which he found three found from Area H, from… |
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89. Faience Objects Find nos. AF12, P IV 100, B 1705. 1. Left: broken piece of a bangle, resembles Pl CXXXVIII, no 5, Possibly of faience. Vats noted: “Most of the faience examples are ornamented with cog-wheel edges… |
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90. Terracotta animals Four in a row: of them one ram and one unicorn. Vats stated: “Animal figures, mostly in terracotta, have been found in very large numbers at Harappa. … Harappa offers a greater variety of animal… |
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91. Terracotta Animals 2 See Terracotta animals for a general description of the terracotta animal figurines from Harappa. Find number of the one second from right is Ab 81. |
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92. Terracotta Figurines including Female Three are female, the fourth, second from left is of the lower part of a finely modelled figure. Find no. A 127. Right: has a thick braid. Second from right: wears “a distinctive headdress which… |
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93. Terracotta Birds Four figures of birds. All without the head. NOTE: The find numbers written on the back of the photograph A (e) 96. AF 263. |
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94. Terracotta Objects Harappa Three jars, the one in middle on a stand, has a band of two incised lines in the middle. Left: the surface has impressed marks on clay. Flat bottom. |
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95. Harappa Terracotta Objects including Dice Left: Terracotta Birdcage. Find no. Ab 554. Published in Vats 1940 (Vol. II) Pl. CXX, no. 22. Middle: a round dice, or a ball, with holes on surface. Find no. 5859. Right: Double headed terracotta… |
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96. Objects including Games Piece Two rows of small objects, three in one row. Four are round, one cylinder and one conical. All from Pit III, find nos. 69, 71, 72, A49 and ?69. |
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97. Game, Bone and Shell Objects 10 small objects in two rows of five each. Top row: Similar looking objects published in Vats 1940 (Vol. II), Plate CXVII, nos. 28-31. Vats described these as “chessman shaped lingams” and… |
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98. Terracotta animals and miscellaneous objects Four terracotta animal figures in a row. Left: possibly an armadillo, find no. Ab 923, found in Mound F in the parallel wall area, and which is published in Vats 1940 (Vol. II) Pl. LXXVII no. 26,… |
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99. Shell and Faience Objects from Harappa Two rows of six objects, each row has three. Four pieces of bangles, or bracelets, three with fine “incised linear patterns”, to quote Vats 1940, p. 448; Middle bottom row: a pot with find no Ab… |
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100. Objects and Bones, Shells Four objects in a row. Second from right: ? piece of a stone ware bangle (?). NOTE: The find numbers written on the back of the photograph A 528, Ab 635, AB 1076, B4. |
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101. Shells from Harappa Three cores of a conch shell. Chipped to remove the pieces of the outer shell. Left, bottom row: possibly a ladle. Vats: "Shell was worked with great skill, and every part of it was turned to… |
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102. Harappa Button Seals Nine seals: square, rectangular and oval. In three, the script can be clearly seen. The rest depict geometric motifs, of which one is described as svastika. Two published in Vats 1940: Plate XCV,… |
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103. Copper Objects from Harappa Two copper objects, in two rows. The one on top row has a design etched on it. The one in the bottom row is possibly the copper chisel, which Sahni reported among the finds from Mound F, area of… |
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104. Stone Objects Harappa Left: Inscribed pottery Middle resembles no. 21, in Vats 1940 (Vol. II) Pl LXXXIII. Vats described this and another (no. 20) as quatrefoil cones. See Photo 54 for description of 20. “… No. 21 (PII… |